Welcome to the Golden City

Yangon is the former capital of Burma and a city of about 4 million people. Called the ‘Golden City’ because of its many gleaming golden pagodas and other Buddhist shrines, it was supposedly once considered the most beautiful city in Southeast Asia due in large part to the plethora of grand colonial-era buildings that line the streets of downtown.

Nowadays it’s a different story. Most colonial-era structures, while still intact, are in bad disrepair. The city is instead dominated by 8-story apartment buildings to house a population that has ballooned over the course of the last century. One gets the impression when walking in the city that there is a constant battle being waged between the buildings and Burma’s rain and humidity, and in most parts of Yangon that I’ve seen it appears nature is winning. Moss and small plants cling onto every surface imaginable, and even newer buildings quickly fall victim to the same effects. Long story short there is a general feeling of corrosion and decay- the city is a part of the land and climate in a way unique in my experience. That is not to say that Yangon is unpleasant... on the contrary I'm finding it rather enjoyable. Once you get used to the atmosphere it begins to grow on you. Its dirty and its loud but its also alive in a really tangible way.

I made these observations Friday while walking downtown to visit the Sule Pagoda (pronounced sooh-lay), rumored to be the Yangon’s oldest. It is located in the center of the city and all mile markers radiate from it. Octagonal in shape, the origins of the pagoda are steeped in legend so I couldn’t find a definitive answer to when it was built or why. It’s quite an impressive structure and is in close proximity to the excellently preserved colonial-era city hall building, the somewhat decaying high court, and the independence monument, another focal point of downtown that houses an immense obelisk commemorating Burma’s independence from the British.

I walked into the pagoda complex through a highly ornamented entryway, of which there are four, and up onto what I can best describe as a stone patio that encircles the pagoda and is itself encircled by rooms housing various shrines. Everything is gold more or less, creating a stunning visual effect that I found incredibly pleasing despite the gloomy weather. I’ll talk more about pagodas and their use in a later post.

After my stroll downtown we visited the Aung San museum house, where General Aung San lived and raised his family. Aung San is the father of modern Burma and was the leader of the independence movement that freed the country from British rule. He was tragically assassinated just months before Burmese independence was attained, in 1947, setting in motion a chain of events which has arguably led to many of the problems that plague the Burmese state today. His daughter, Aung San Suu Kyi, is an internationally known advocate for democracy and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. The house was pleasant inside and out, and relatively modest for a figure as revered as Aung San. Much of the original furniture was on display, as well as many images and timelines pertaining to the general’s life and achievements.

That’s it for Friday, I’m gonna grab dinner and then write about Saturday to get all caught up.